Turkish stars to receive PISA Global Influencer Awards in Dubai

With the 2nd annual Pakistan International Screen Awards (PISA '21) only days away, the organisers of the prestigious awards show are excited to reveal the names of three stars of the globally successful Turkish series Dirilis: Ertugrul (2014-2019) who will each be bestowed with the PISA Global Influencer Award at the glittering event.

Actors Emre Üçtepe, Didem Balçın and Celal Al will be gracing the Dubai event with their presence.

Historical drama series Dirilis: Ertugrul continues to be popular among viewers, even after it ended in 2019. The series is now so popular that it has been dubbed in six languages and broadcast in 72 countries. Its maker, Turkish Radio Television (TRT), describes it as a show with an “ability to connect global audiences through shared values.”

Emre Üçtepe who began his career as a child star and has over 200,000 Followers on Instagram, plays the role of Osman I, son of Ertuğrul in the series. He has also acted in the series Basarmalisin.

Didem Balçın who has over a million followers on Instagram plays the role of Selcan Hatun in Dirilis: Ertugrul and its sequel Kuruluş: Osman (2019-present), transforming from a malicious negative character into a positive honourable one with noteworthy acting finesse. The popular Turkish actress and star has appeared in nine films including Jackals and eight TV shows in Turkey.

Celal Al, who also has over a million followers on Instagram, portrays the role of Abdur Rehman Ghazi - a commander who served in the foundation of the Ottoman Empire – in Diriliş: Ertuğrul and Kuruluş: Osman (The Ottoman).

His first film as a producer, Zemberek, received an award in the National Film Competition at the Harput Short Film Festival. Al also visited Karachi and met a group of youngsters, who filmed the Pakistani Ertuğrul on an amateur set they put together in Swat, in northern Pakistan.

The annual PISA taking place on November 5, 2021 at the majestic Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, acknowledges the stellar talent of Pakistan's most celebrated artists from the TV, Music, Fashion and Digital Content industries and honours them on an international platform under the aegis of organisers Mesmerize Events and its CEO and Founder Mr. Faisal Khan.

• Dubai